Stay Safe During the Heat Wave in Savage, Minnesota

You woke up this morning thinking about today. Maybe your family made plans for Dan Patch Days at Savage Community Park, the annual summer tradition on Dakota Avenue South that brings the whole neighborhood together. Perhaps you are getting the backyard ready, packing a cooler, and deciding what to cook. You might have promised the kids something fun this weekend, and you have been looking forward to it too.

And right now, there is something important you need to know before you step outside.

The heat wave moving into Scott County this weekend is not a typical Minnesota heat event. It is the kind that becomes dangerous, where families end the day in an emergency room instead of watching the sunset. It is the kind we have spent 18 years learning to recognize, and we feel a responsibility to warn you about it before the hottest days arrive.

I am Dr. Uche Franklin, your provider at Willa Healthcare Family Clinic on Egan Drive, right here in Savage. I am writing this to you today because you are our neighbor. What happens to your family this week matters. The most important thing we can do today is make sure you have the information you need before you need it.

What Is Coming: This Week's Weather in Scott County

Today, Saturday, feels like a warm summer day. The heat index will push into the low 90s tonight. If you are at Dan Patch Days this afternoon, drink your water and find the shade. It is manageable.

Sunday changes the equation. Hot and humid conditions arrive with heat index values near 93 degrees by afternoon. Overnight lows will stay in the 70s, which means your home and your body will not cool down between days.

Then comes Monday, June 29.

The National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen office is forecasting a high of 97°F, with heat index values expected to reach 111°F. That is what it will actually feel like to your body. Meteorologists from WCCO and CBS Minnesota are calling Monday the hottest day in the Twin Cities since September 2023. The National Weather Service has placed most of the metro under a Red 3 Major Heat Risk rating, and portions of southern Minnesota, including areas near Scott County, under a Magenta 4 Extreme Heat Risk, the highest category in the scale, reserved for conditions that are rare, prolonged, and provide no overnight relief.

Source: National Weather Service Twin Cities (https://www.weather.gov/mpx/); CBS Minnesota NEXT Weather, June 26, 2026 (https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-weather-report-june-26-2026/)

The heat does not stop after Monday. The National Weather Service forecast shows highs in the low to mid 90s Tuesday through Thursday, with overnight lows in the 70s each night. The extended Climate Prediction Center outlook shows above-normal temperatures likely persisting through July 3 to July 9. This is a week-long heat event, not just a single bad day.

Source: National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center (https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/)

That matters because the danger from extreme heat does not come only from one afternoon. It comes from cumulative exposure, from days when your body cannot fully recover overnight, and from mornings when you already start out dehydrated. This week requires a week-long response, not a single precaution on Monday afternoon.

Who Is Most at Risk: Recognizing Your Family in This List

Heat does not threaten everyone equally. There are families in Savage right now who are at significant risk this week.

Older Adults

The ability to regulate body temperature declines with age. It declines in ways that are not always obvious. An elderly parent or grandparent who says they feel fine, sitting in a warm house with a window fan, may be in serious danger without knowing it. The body stops signaling thirst effectively. The warning system breaks down quietly. If you have a senior family member in Scott County, please check on them today and every day this week. Not a text, but a visit or a real phone call where you hear their voice.

Anyone Managing Diabetes

Diabetes affects both circulation and the sweating response, which are the two main ways your body defends itself against overheating. Some medications used to manage diabetes also increase the risk of dehydration. This is not an abstract risk; it is a specific physiological reality that requires extra vigilance from everyone in Savage managing blood sugar this week.

Patients with Heart Disease or High Blood Pressure

The heart works significantly harder in extreme heat. If you or someone in your household has a cardiovascular condition, this is not the week to push through outdoor activity in the afternoon. This is the week to be careful, to stay ahead of symptoms, and to call your provider if anything feels off.

Children, Especially Young Children

A child's body heats up 3 to 5 times faster than an adult body does. They also cannot reliably tell you they are feeling wrong until they are already in trouble. Never leave a child in a parked vehicle during this heat wave, not for a moment. Car interiors can reach fatal temperatures in minutes.

Pregnant Women

Pregnancy increases the body's baseline temperature and raises the demand for fluids. Extreme heat increases the risk of dehydration, dizziness, and complications. Please treat this event as the serious medical situation it is and stay cool.

Anyone with Asthma or a Respiratory Condition

Extreme heat often comes with higher ozone levels. Breathing outdoors during the hottest hours of the afternoon can trigger serious flare-ups, sometimes before symptoms feel severe enough to prompt action.

Anyone Taking Medications That Affect Hydration, Heart Rate, or Heat Tolerance

This includes diuretics, beta blockers, antihistamines, certain antidepressants, and more. If you are on daily medications and are not sure whether they affect how your body handles heat, please call us.

The patients we think about most when we see a heat warning like this one are the families we care for every day at our clinic. This includes patients on Medicare managing chronic conditions, families on Medicaid who may not have reliable air conditioning, and our DPC members who call us when something feels wrong.

What Heat Does to the Body: The Warning Signs You Cannot Afford to Miss

The clinical picture of heat illness moves in stages. The difference between stages can be the difference between going home that night and going to the emergency room.

Heat Exhaustion

This is the warning stage. The body is still fighting. Signs include heavy sweating, cool and pale or clammy skin, a fast but weak pulse, nausea, muscle cramps, dizziness, weakness, and headache. A person with heat exhaustion is still conscious. Their body is still sweating.

If you see these signs, move the person to a cool location immediately. Give cool water to drink if they are awake and alert. Apply cool wet cloths to the skin. Stay with them. Monitor them. Do not assume they just need a moment.

Heat Stroke

This is the emergency. The body has stopped being able to cool itself. Signs include a body temperature of 103°F or higher, hot and red skin that may be dry or damp, a rapid and strong pulse, and confusion, altered behavior, or loss of consciousness. A person in heat stroke may stop sweating entirely even though their body temperature is dangerously high.

Call 911 immediately. Do not put them in your car and drive to urgent care. Do not wait to see if they improve. Heat stroke can be fatal within minutes without emergency treatment. This is a 911 call, not a wait-and-see situation.

The transition from heat exhaustion to heat stroke can happen faster than most people expect, particularly in older adults, young children, and anyone with a chronic condition. Do not talk yourself out of concern because someone looks like they will be okay. Call.

What to Do Right Now: A Practical Plan for Savage Families This Week

You do not have to wait until Monday's peak heat arrives to start protecting the people you love. Here is what to do today.

Hydrate Before You Feel Thirsty

By the time thirst signals arrive, early dehydration has already begun. Adults should drink at least 8 to 10 cups of water per day this week, more if spending any time outdoors. Avoid alcohol and sugary drinks. Both accelerate fluid loss in ways that feel invisible until they matter.

If you are at Dan Patch Days this afternoon, seek shade between activities. Stay close to the water sources. Eat light. Limit how long children run in the direct sun during peak afternoon hours. The festival is worth enjoying. Going home safe is also worth protecting.

A family relaxes by a tranquil riverside, enjoying the shade of overhanging trees on a sunny day.

Know Where to Go if You Need a Cool Space

If your home does not have air conditioning or if your air conditioning is struggling, identify a cooling location now before you need it urgently. Scott County libraries, Savage City Hall, and area shopping centers are air-conditioned public spaces. Search for "cooling center Scott County MN" to find the nearest location. A cooling center visit is not overreacting. It is exactly the right response.

Store Your Medications Safely

Many medications degrade in extreme heat. If your medications have been sitting in a warm car, a warm bathroom, or a windowsill, check the storage requirements on the label or call us.

Dress for What Is Actually Happening

Wear lightweight, loose, light-colored clothing. Use a hat outdoors. Apply sunscreen before you go out and reapply it every 2 hours.

Check on Your Neighbors

An elderly neighbor who lives alone, a family without air conditioning two houses down, or a relative who said they were fine last time you talked. This week, "fine" is not enough information. A knock on the door or a real phone call costs nothing; it may mean everything.

Use Fans Wisely

When outdoor temperatures exceed 95 degrees, fans can actually make heat illness worse inside a hot room by circulating hot air over skin that is already compromised. Cool the person with wet cloths and move them to a cooler space rather than relying on fan circulation alone.

When to Call Willa and When to Call 911

Call 911 immediately for any of the following: high body temperature with confusion or loss of consciousness, hot and red skin, rapid and strong pulse, or seizures. These are the signs of heat stroke. This is a 911 call, not a clinic visit.

Call Willa Healthcare at 763-273-1668 for any of the following: heat exhaustion symptoms that do not improve within 30 minutes of rest and cool fluids, any chronic condition patient who is feeling unusually unwell during this heat wave, any patient who takes daily medications and is experiencing new fatigue, dizziness, or nausea, or anyone who is simply unsure and wants guidance from someone who knows their medical history.

We are open Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, and Saturday from 8 AM to 1 PM. For after-hours urgent concerns that do not rise to a 911 call, please use your best judgment on next steps, and do not hesitate to call emergency services if you are at all unsure.

What Willa Healthcare Family Clinic Was Built For

There is a version of healthcare in Minnesota where you call a clinic and the next available appointment is 3 weeks out. Where you leave a voicemail and wait. Where you arrive as a stranger every time and explain your history from scratch.

That is not why we opened Willa Healthcare Family Clinic at 5757 Egan Drive.

We built this clinic because families in Savage deserve a provider who knows them. Who sees them the same week they call. Who thinks about their health on a Saturday morning when the heat is about to become dangerous, and who writes to them because that relationship matters.

This week, that commitment looks like this post. It looks like our doors being open on Saturday. It looks like answering your call and knowing your name, your conditions, and your medications before you have to remind us.

For patients who want the deepest possible access to that kind of care, our Direct Primary Care (DPC) membership is designed for exactly these moments. DPC members have same-week and often same-day access to us, direct communication between visits, and a relationship built on continuity, not on appointments booked weeks apart. When the heat index hits 111 degrees on Monday, that kind of access is not a luxury. It is what coordinated, continuous care looks like when it is working the way it should.

This week and every summer week that follows, we are your clinic. We are your neighbor. We are here.

Stay cool, Savage. Stay safe. And please do not wait to reach out if you are worried.

With care,

Dr. Uche Franklin, DNP, APRN, CNP, FNP-BC, FNP-C, RN, PHN

Willa Healthcare Family Clinic

5757 Egan Drive, Savage, MN 55378

Frequently Asked Questions: Heat Wave Safety for Savage Families (2026)

What is the heat index and why does it matter more than the air temperature reading?

The heat index is the measure of what temperature actually feels like to the human body when humidity is factored in. High humidity prevents sweat from evaporating, which is the body's primary cooling mechanism. When the air temperature is 97°F with the humidity levels forecast for Monday, June 29, in Savage and Scott County, the heat index reaches 111°F. Your body experiences that higher number, not the thermometer reading. This is why the National Weather Service issues extreme heat warnings based on heat index values rather than air temperature alone, and why Monday's forecast is significantly more dangerous than a typical hot Minnesota day. To book a same-week appointment at Willa Healthcare in Savage, please call 763-273-1668 or visit: https://www.willahealthcare.com.

I have diabetes and take blood pressure medication. What do I need to do differently this week?

Both conditions, and many medications used to manage them, change how your body handles heat and hydration. Diuretics increase fluid loss. Some blood pressure medications affect the ability to sweat or to regulate heart rate under heat stress. Diabetes impairs circulation and the sweating response that your body relies on for cooling. During this heat wave, increase your water intake significantly beyond what feels normal, avoid extended time outdoors during peak afternoon hours (10 AM to 4 PM), and monitor yourself carefully for unusual fatigue, dizziness, or nausea. If anything feels off, call us at 763-273-1668. Dr. Franklin can review your specific medications and conditions and help you understand your personal risk this week.

What is the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and when is it a 911 emergency?

Heat exhaustion involves heavy sweating, pale or clammy skin, muscle cramps, nausea, dizziness, and weakness. It is serious, but the body's cooling system is still functioning. Move to a cool area, give cool fluids, and apply cool cloths to the skin. If symptoms do not improve within 30 minutes, seek medical care at Willa Healthcare or an urgent care facility. Heat stroke is a medical emergency. The body's cooling system has failed entirely. Signs include a temperature of 103°F or higher, hot and red skin that may be dry or damp, a rapid and strong pulse, confusion, and possible loss of consciousness. Call 911 immediately. Do not wait. Do not drive to a clinic. Heat stroke can cause permanent organ damage and death within minutes without emergency treatment. If you are uncertain which situation you are in, call 911 first. For heat wave health guidance specific to Savage, MN, contact Willa Healthcare Family Clinic at 763-273-1668 or visit https://www.willahealthcare.com.

Come See Us. We Are Here for You.

Willa Healthcare Family Clinic

Dr. Uche Franklin, DNP, APRN, CNP, FNP-BC, FNP-C, RN, PHN

Address:

5757 Egan Drive, Savage, MN 55378

Scheduling: 763-273-1668

Medical line: 763-273-1667

Website: https://www.willahealthcare.com

Hours:

Monday through Friday: 8 AM to 5 PM

Saturday: 8 AM to 1 PM

Same-week appointments available. New patients welcome. No referral required.

Disclaimer: Well by Willa is the health blog of Willa Healthcare Family Clinic, Savage, MN. Content is for general informational purposes only and does not replace personalized medical advice from your provider. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 immediately. For non-emergency health concerns during this heat wave, call 763-273-1668 or visit https://www.willahealthcare.com. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about your health or the health of your family members.